Page 83 - Bush 'n Beach Fishing magazine

Life after barramundi closure
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side with the net lob-
period – a phenomenon easily accommodated during winter when that low happens dur- ing daylight hours, but it becomes very hard to interpret when the low tide changes to night- time through summer.
remember is that they prefer a lure retrieved quickly, so if they’re chasing though not striking, you’re not winding fast enough!
by and shut the fishery down completely.
A measure of the di- versity of our fishery, particularly in the Gulf, is that there are still plenty of species worth chasing when barra are off-limits.
What this effectively means is that fishers are confronted with an all-day high tide situ- ation from November to February, making it difficult to work out the best times to fish.
The other spots to look for queenfish are headlands, shallow off- shore bommies and bait schools.
Many other fish choose to spawn dur- ing hotter months, and the imminent arrival of the wet season prompts our finny friends to get all hot and bothered in preparation for making fingerlings.
Many locals, myself included, download hourly tide charts so we can determine when any movement of the tide occurs.
A good way to locate fish is by casting pop- pers along rocky fore- shores and outcrops but watch out for big giant trevally.
Taken off the beach adjacent to Red Cliffs at Weipa, a hefty blue salmon gave the author plenty of stick after it grabbed his cast Leads Hi Jacker hard-body.
This sail sh was tagged with the hook about to be removed. The author scored this beauty recently south of Weipa.
This activity can make them very hungry at times.
They will be sure to liven up your day, in more ways than one. Golden trevally
The Bureau of Me- teorology has recently declared that a La Niña event is imminent, which usually indicates an early arrival of the wet season in northern Australia.
The well-known ad- age of ‘no run, no fun’ can still be applied if you have knowledge of when the tide move- ment occur.
While goldens are not generally taken on sur- face lures, they’ll take almost any other type you throw at them.
This means that if you’re contemplating visiting the Cape dur- ing November, you’d be better off to do your trip in the first half of the month, rather than later.
Occasionally, these events can be as short as a couple of hours and it is well worth mak- ing the effort to target them.
From metal wobblers and jigs to hard-bod- ies and soft plastics, goldies will grab virtu- ally anything that goes past.
OK – let’s have a look at several species worth chasing while the barra closed season is effec- tive.
Queenfish
Like all trevally, they fight very hard and can take a while to land if you treat them too softly.
The Peninsula Devel- opment Rd usually re- mains trafficable even after the first few weeks of rain, so there’s no need to panic if there’s a bit of water around.
In the rivers and creeks, the prime time to chase queenies is during the early part of the run-in tide.
On the other hand, a close eye should be kept on any low-pressure systems that may pop up off the east or west coast.
They can usually be found around river mouths and junctions, as well as working bait- fish that hang around structure such as rock bars, man-made jetties and channel markers.
One other seasonal event that often con- fuses fishers both local and visiting, is the state of the tide during sum- mer.
These silver beauties are one of the most ag- gressive species around and will grab almost any type of lure, from poppers to soft plastics.
In Weipa, there is gen- erally only one low tide during each 24-hour www.bnb shing.com.au
The main thing to
Sunbaking is no longer in be found.
vogue with summer about to arrive and a mate to
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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2020 – Page 83